Highlights in Music the Week of March 1-7

THURSDAY 3/1

GUTTERMOUTH, BOLDTYPE, RENDERED USELESS, THE UNCIVIL (Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) There was a time when the molasses haze of youth tricked me into thinking that Guttermouth was the best punk rock band of the 1990s. A string of immature SoCal skate-punk releases—peaking with 1997's Musical Monkey—on venerable label Nitro introduced the burgeoning Warped Tour world to snotty songs about donkeys, telling your mom to fuck off, and making fun of pretty much everything. Singer Mark Adkins' on- and off-stage insanity spoke to the 'tude of a sassy, drug-addled toddler, which propelled the group into pseudo-legendary status even as their brief wave of popularity began to crest. With their 10th album Shave the Planet and 20 years under their belts, Guttermouth now, oddly enough, have earned a fond, fiery nostalgia, which is certain to bring aging punkers and skate-rats out in droves. RYAN J. PRADO

COASTING, OLD WARS, PLEASSURE (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) After crawling through the muddy trenches of post-punk, Old Wars have emerged with only a rhythm section and each other. Their battle wounds are apparent on Broken Bones, a dark and fuzzy debut oozing with confidence. Sounding pissed off is easy, but Old Wars have opted instead for the mysterious, conveyed by Jen Moon's sludgy bass and alienated lyrics against the backdrop of Kathy Mendonca's pounding drums. Moon's voice carries the full weight of the unexpected, surprisingly poppy melodies. This doesn't seem to be a challenge for her, as she's an outstanding rock-and-roll singer, with a delivery along the lines of Karen O or Siouxsie Sioux. It's hard to say whether the duo's drum-bass-vocals lineup will sustain them for the long haul, but for now, it's carrying them just fine. REBECCA WILSON

FRIDAY 3/2

W.C. BECK, HUCK NOTARI, GARETT BRENNAN AND THE GREAT SALT LICKS (Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Hot on the heels of last year's Kansawyer, songwriter W.C. Beck already has a new album, and it's one he's been working on for three years. Sapling, which celebrates its release tonight, tones down the country twang of Kansawyer in favor of a more freewheeling, widescreen version of Americana. It's a subdued record but a stirring one, featuring a plethora of local talent including guitarist Nate Clark, pedal steel/bass player Jesse Bates, and Sean and Ryan Spellman of Quiet Life, among others. But the real star is Beck's casual but emotive songwriting, mining the emotional depths of balladry without a trace of schmaltz. It's the kind of record that's perfectly suited for the two seasons we get here: cold and cloudy damp, and daisy-fresh sunshine. Beck, a journeyman musician who's done time in countless local bands, obviously has his own strengths to display—further evidenced by his songwriting contribution to Jackstraw's most recent record—and Sapling is his clearest, most moving work to date.
NED LANNAMANN

THE SHIVAS, ORCA TEAM, PLEASSURE (Backspace, 115 NW 5th) It takes a lot of imagination to allow one's self a daydream to sunnier climes this time of year in Portland, but listening to the Shivas' third LP Whiteout definitely helps. Fetching doo-wop melodies splice through dreamy beach-pop on throwback cuts like "Baby I Need You," in which drummer Kristin Leonard lilts an ultra-catchy verse on top of far-away guitars and echoed drums. The lo-fi production speaks of a loyalty to seminal R&B recordings, but the Shivas' allegiance to writing great songs first and figuring the rest out later makes them a band to pay attention to. Though they explore zestier numbers—like the single "Gun in My Pocket"—leisurely tunes like the somber "All the Time" expose their hidden trove of pop songwriting excellence. Send the quartet off in style before they zigzag toward Austin to be absorbed into the folds of Cthulhu at SXSW like every other band in the entire world. RJP

THE MODERN ART TOUR: MINIATURE TIGERS, GEOGRAPHER, THE CHAIN GANG OF 1974, PRETTY & NICE (Branx, 320 SE 2nd) San Francisco trio Geographer deftly meld drums, cello, synthesizers, loops, and pensive vocals with lush and hyper-polished production that doesn't work to their detriment. Myth, the band's debut full-length, demonstrates both a cogent sense of songwriting and expertly executed musicianship, all of which indicates that next time around they'll be playing a bigger venue, as long as internet-based suggestions that they put on a stellar live show are accurate. Tonight, they perform as part of a touring package bill from Modern Art Records and the Consequence of Sound music blog. GRANT BRISSEY

REPTAR, QUIET HOOVES,
ADVENTURE GALLEY (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Were it not for the current synth craze, I have a feeling the members of Reptar would be traveling around Africa, making their way as cheery anthropologists of indigenous music. Instead, the quartet has harnessed their love for world music to the power of the electronic keyboard, creating a high-energy pastiche for the masses to dance to. This obviously makes them enormously happy, something they find impossible to disguise in their songs. And why should they? Graham Ulicny's reggae-style vocals weave among abundant layers of percussion, loops, backing vocals and, of course, keys. Their debut album, Body Faucet, is produced by Ben Allen, who's also responsible for producing records by Animal Collective and Gnarls Barkley. It isn't out till May 1, but that's okay—Reptar is meant to be heard live. Their raucous shows have become the stuff of legend in their hometown of Athens, Georgia. RW

SATURDAY 3/3

THE MINDERS, SPOOKIES,
WELSH BOWMAN (Ella Street Social Club, 714 SW 20th Pl) Triple threat pop bills this savage occur so infrequently in this city that there aren't many valid excuses for passing them up (you're under 21; you'll be on Wheel of Fortune that night). Welsh Bowmen released an astonishingly good debut 7-inch last summer, which contained the ferocious garage-pop number "Brenda" (reminiscent of Bare Wires, or even early Kinks, cranked up to 11). Ex-Shaky Hand and current Spookies member Mayhaw Hoons sounds like an impassioned John Linnell (of They Might Be Giants) when he sings, reared equally on late-'80s pop culture and Hard Day's Night-era Beatles. And everybody should already know how great the Minders are. If you don't, here's a hint: Elliott Smith covered one of their songs ("Hooray For Tuesday"), which is by no means their best. So get with it. MORGAN TROPER

FOREVER, TACOCAT, MODERN MARRIAGE (The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) TacocaT's band name encapsulates the two things I love best in this world in one adorable palindrome—and "adorable" pretty well sums up the jangly, blast-from-the '90s indie pop dished out on their new EP, Take Me to Your Dealer. But there's a bratty edge to TacocaT's chirpy vocals and yeah-yeah choruses—take "Cat Fancy," their ode to the closed-circuit cuteness of "the world's most widely read cat magazine." "All cats all the time/that's what you're gonna get," the lyrics snark. "Who cares about world affairs/who cares about politics?" They also have a song called "F. U. #8," about a bus that's always late. I like to pretend it's about the #15. That bus is the worst. ALISON HALLETT

PETER CASE, PAUL COLLINS, SUMMER TWINS, CARNABETIAN ARMY (Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Both Peter Case and Paul Collins have enjoyed long careers as two of the great purveyors of real-time-and-beyond post-punk pop: Case fronted the Plimsouls (makers of '83 hit "A Million Miles Away") and launched a troubadourian solo career (his 1986 cover of the Pogues' "A Pair of Brown Eyes" was the "My Heart Will Go On" of my high-school class), while Collins carried on as the leader of the Beat (not the English Beat, but rather Paul Collins' Beat). But everything you need to know to love both of them forever can be found on the only release by the Nerves, a four-song EP that Collins, Case, and guitarist Jack Lee released in 1976. Kicking off with the great, gritty original of "Hangin' on the Telephone" and perfect 'til the end, The Nerves captures a talent-packed band finding their voices, and people with ears will love it forever. Tonight the Star Theater hosts the Peter Case and Paul Collins Reunion Tribute to the Nerves, which is exactly what it says it is, and hurrah. DAVID SCHMADER

LOMA PRIETA, BIRDS IN ROW, COWER (PSU's Food for Thought Café, 1825 SW Broadway) Snotty, stoner Portland punk-rock pundits Cower straggled through a few distinct stylistic phases before finally settling on their current sound, exemplified on their 2010 LP Land Before Time, which could roughly be described as Anthony Green fronting a ballsier Black Sabbath in bizarro 1970. Through their evolution, they've maintained their loyal following (which continues to expand), and remain one of the most unifying bands, punk or otherwise, within the all-ages pocket of the PDX music scene. Even the typically judgmental hardcore puritans aren't afraid to let their hair down and have some good old-fashioned fun during a Cower set. MT

SUNDAY 3/4

LA SERA, COLD SHOWERS, WL (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Upon advance listening, La Sera's second album, Sees the Light, evokes the absolute best nuances of '60s girl groups—rollicking, saccharine melodies and captivating vocals—without the careful poses, the matching outfits, and most importantly, the blaring naiveté. This is not Katy Goodman's first time around the block, and while her solo project began as hazy pop-punk experimentation, it seems she's found a way to hone in on that classic sweetness without hemming in the rougher edges. For instance, songs like "Break My Heart" or "Please Be My Third Eye" contain seemingly simple, beckoning hooks sung luminously over a guitar whose distorted drive could only be described as reckless; it's a startling juxtaposition at first, but it's not long before everything makes perfect sense. RAQUEL NASSER

SHOOK TWINS, JOHN CRAIGIE, ASHIA GRZESIK (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) In the song "Window," Shook Twins fantasize about teleporting to the 1960s, hanging out, and dropping acid. This is ironic because, while they do seem to have mastered time travel, it is evidently in the opposite direction: With their acoustic guitar, banjo, and long golden hair, their appearances suggest that they learned their craft at the knee of Pete Seeger or Woody Guthrie. But Shook Twins are far more than an identical dose of nostalgia. By combining loops, surprising use of a wah-wah pedal, and beatboxing, they make even their most traditional melodies sound innovative. These things are important, but Shook Twins would manage to draw crowds with nothing more than their spine-tingling harmonies, delivered in voices that are nearly indistinguishable. RW

TUESDAY 3/6

HE'S MY BROTHER SHE'S MY SISTER,
BAD WEATHER CALIFORNIA, THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) There is a serious contingent of huggy, earnest folk music sung by stomping boys and girls with guitars. If you stumbled upon the wrong song, LA-based He's My Brother, She's My Sister could be ushered into that corner to disappear with the rest of those adorably forgettable dust bunnies. However, the band—whose vocals and songwriting duties are helmed by two blood siblings, hence the name—adds a few dashes of soul and psychedelia to their blithe, eclectic pop, like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros without all the hippie, cultish hullabaloo. Thus we cannot spite them for all the fun they have; they've earned it with actual talent, so we might as well shed our winter curmudgeon costumes and join in. RN

WEDNESDAY 3/7

CROCODILES, BLEEDING RAINBOW (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Did you guys hear that Black Tambourine reunited for some East Coast shows, the first they've played in 21 years? Supposedly it's for Chickfactor magazine's 20th-anniversary party, but I'm betting they also got sick of so many bands out there aping their style. Not that there's anything wrong with that: Bleeding Rainbow—who happen to have one of the best band names ever and a shoegaze/noise-pop-with-lovely vocals sound—are just one of many such bands currently on the circuit. For those keeping track, Crocodiles' 2010 album, Sleep Forever, is still a gorgeous collection of gripping fuzz-guitar trajectories, and the lead single off their upcoming Endless Flowers suggests it will be, too. GB